Regulation Watch · Environmental Compliance · Indonesia. The decision applies nationally to the listed molluscs and horseshoe crabs in Indonesian fish-resource management areas. It is relevant to capture, collection, holding, breeding, transport, trade, export, research, aquaria, seafood, shell products, hospitality and marine-tourism supply chains involving the listed species.
Indonesia Protects 20 Mollusc and Horseshoe Crab Species
Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Decision 88/2026 gives full protection to seven molluscs and limited protection to ten other molluscs and three horseshoe crabs, with species-specific size and reproductive controls.
- Published
- Established by the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries on 15 October 2026. The official KKP JDIH record also lists 15 October 2026 as the promulgation date. The instrument is a ministerial decision and the official record does not identify a State Gazette or State Bulletin number.
- Effective
- 15 October 2026, the date of establishment stated in the decision. The decision contains no transition period.
- Added to Watch
- 24 October 2026
Who is affected
PT PMA and PT PMDN fisheries, aquaculture, seafood, trading, import-export, aquarium, shell, jewellery, craft, interior, hospitality and marine-tourism businesses; restaurants and hotels; fishers, collectors and suppliers; exporters, freight and customs providers; research institutions and universities; directors, shareholders, procurement teams and environmental-compliance teams; and property operators that acquire or display shells or derivative products from the listed species.
Practical impact
Decision 88/2026 fully protects seven molluscs: Hippopus hippopus, Hippopus porcellanus, Tridacna derasa, Tridacna gigas, Nautilus pompilius, Charonia tritonis and Syrinx aruana. Full protection covers every life stage, body part and derivative product. Ten other molluscs receive limited protection through minimum capture sizes, and three horseshoe crabs receive limited protection that prohibits capture of egg-bearing females. The attachment supplies identification and measurement guidance. Research and development activities can use the exceptions stated in the decision, subject to the applicable permit framework, and terrestrial fossils of Tridacna gigas are excluded from full protection.
The Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries established Decision 88/2026 on 15 October 2026, and it took effect that day. The decision identifies 20 mollusc and horseshoe crab species for full or limited protection and supplies an illustrated identification and measurement guide.
Seven molluscs receive full protection: Hippopus hippopus, Hippopus porcellanus, Tridacna derasa, Tridacna gigas, Nautilus pompilius, Charonia tritonis and Syrinx aruana. The protection covers every life stage, body part and derivative product. This means a compliance review must extend beyond live specimens to shells, processed materials, jewellery, crafts and decorative objects.
Ten molluscs receive limited protection through minimum capture sizes. The threshold is 10 centimetres shell width for Tridacna crocea and 20 centimetres shell width for Tridacna maxima, Tridacna noae and Tridacna squamosa. Cassis cornuta has a 25 centimetre minimum shell length. Rochia maxima, Rochia nilotica and Tectus pyramis each have an 8 centimetre minimum basal diameter. The minimum shell length is 5 centimetres for Turbo chrysostomus and 15 centimetres for Turbo marmoratus.
Three horseshoe crabs also receive limited protection: Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda, Tachypleus gigas and Tachypleus tridentatus. The restriction is reproductive rather than size-based, and prohibits capture of egg-bearing females.
The decision provides exceptions for research, development, assessment and application activities in accordance with the applicable protection status and legal framework. It also excludes terrestrial fossils of Tridacna gigas from full protection. These are limited exceptions, not general commercial permissions.
Government Regulation 60/2007 places protected-species utilisation inside a permit system. It requires permits for taking protected fish from the wild, research, breeding, trade and aquarium activities, and requires supporting documents for export, import and re-export. Trade in protected fish is restricted to qualifying captive-bred generations under that framework.
Affected businesses should treat scientific identification, measurement and documentary traceability as transaction controls. Procurement teams should not rely on a common name alone. The specimen or product should be matched to the decision, measured using the attachment where applicable, and tied to lawful origin, quota, breeding, transport, utilisation and export records before acceptance or movement.
Required action
- Map live animals, seafood, shells, jewellery, crafts, interior objects, aquarium stock, research specimens and supplier catalogues by scientific name against the 20 protected species in Decision 88/2026.
- Stop capture, purchase, sale, transport, display, processing or export of a fully protected species unless the activity fits a stated exception and has every permit and supporting document required by the fisheries protection framework.
- For Tridacna crocea, reject capture below 10 centimetres shell width; for Tridacna maxima, Tridacna noae and Tridacna squamosa, reject capture below 20 centimetres shell width.
- For Cassis cornuta, reject capture below 25 centimetres shell length; for Rochia maxima, Rochia nilotica and Tectus pyramis, reject capture below 8 centimetres basal diameter; for Turbo chrysostomus reject capture below 5 centimetres shell length and for Turbo marmoratus below 15 centimetres shell length.
- Do not capture an egg-bearing female Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda, Tachypleus gigas or Tachypleus tridentatus, and train field staff and suppliers to recognise the reproductive condition.
- Use the official identification and measurement methods in the decision's attachment, document measurements at receiving and preserve photographs, species determinations, origin, quota, breeding, transport and transaction records.
- Reconcile the activity with the applicable protected-species utilisation, breeding, trade, aquarium, transport, export and research permits before moving or commercialising a specimen or product.
- Quarantine uncertain legacy stock and decorative shells from sale, transfer or disposal until a qualified identification and documentary review confirms the species and lawful source.